Golden-based fiber artist an quilter Regina Benson created this piece, “Corporate Transparency,” for an exhibition opening Jan. 23 at the Foothills Art Center in Golden. (Photo courtesy of the Foothills Art Center)

While plenty of politics is on display at the Colorado Capitol, with the legislative session entering its second week, a more aesthetic version — including a bong — opens Saturday at the Foothills Art Center in Golden.

The exhibition of politically- and socially-engaged art takes on a lot of topics, said Marianne Lorenz, the art center’s cuator and interim executive director: “from the perils of hazardous waste storage, to homelessness, to our stalemated Congress (that piece by the way is a 10-foot-by-10-foot clay chess board with each chessmen representing some crazy aspect of our political system), to corporate greed, to guns (an exact life-sized replica of a Hotchkiss M1914 done in clear blown glass with the words ‘peace’ etched in over 200 languages — it is also a fully functioning bong).”

Colorado House Democratic Leader Crisanta Duran participated in a program on international refugees in Germany last month.

Colorado House Democratic leader Crisanta Duran of Denver got a close view of the international refugee crisis when she took part in the Transatlantic Migration Study Tour to Germany last month.

The trip would hit closer to home than she expected.

“On the day I left, Governor Hickenlooper took a courageous position, proclaiming Colorado would welcome Syrian refugees while working with Homeland Security to ensure the national verification process is as stringent as possible,” Duran wrote in an essay about the refugee crisis. “In a political landscape where governors and politicians throughout the country were racing to microphones to see who could reject these refugees the fastest, our governor stood up for public safety and rejected the politics of fear.”

Summit County Commissioner Dan Gibbs, a former state senator, testified in a congressional hearing Tuesday about federal management of national forests.

Summit County Commissioner Dan Gibbs testified to a congressional subcommittee in Washington Tuesday about managing national forests. The Republican-led hearing sought to show how local and state governments do a better job taking care of local forests than the U.S. Forest Service.

“We’re here to answer the question why our federal forests are in such poor condition, while forests managed by states, localities, tribes and private parties are healthy and thriving,” said the committee’s chairman, Rep. Tom McClintock of California.

Gibbs had a simple answer: money, specifically the ever-dwindling amount given to the U.S. Forest Service, and even that allocation is sometimes siphoned off to fight wildfires in other states.

Gov. John Hickenlooper made two administrative announcements this week, naming Kurt Morrison as his director of legislative affairs and Jacki Cooper Melmed as his chief legal counsel.

Gov. John Hickenlooper announced his choices for the director of legislative affairs and legal counsel this week. (Photo By Brent Lewis/The Denver Post)

Morrison is currently a member of the governor’s senior leadership team, serving as deputy legislative director and strategic adviser on transportation and infrastructure policy.

“Kurt has a proven track record of navigating through complicated public policy issues with the General Assembly to help find the best solutions for Coloradans,” Hickenlooper said in a statement. “He has provided steady counsel and his unique expertise throughout this past session and we look forward to working with him on the challenges ahead.”

Minnesota Sen. Al Franken fired up Colorado Democrats at their annual fundraising dinner Saturday, rapping Republicans on climate change and the economy while dispensing the kind of humor that made him a cast member on Saturday Night Live.

He praised U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet, who is up for reelection in 2016, lamented the defeat last year of U.S. Sen. Mark Udall and quoted the late Minnesota Sen. Paul Wellstone.

Franken opened by talking about a previous visit to Denver.

“I met John Hickenlooper. He had just become mayor. He had this brewpub and they had all these craft beers. I thought, ‘What’s the deal with the craft beers? How is that a thing?’ Well, wouldn’t you know it, 11 years later craft beers are are huge and not only that, I’m a U.S. senator,” Franken said.

“I don’t know what happened to Hickenlooper.”

Governor Hickenlooper and the rest of the crowd at the Jefferson Jackson dinner howled.

Colorado state Rep. Tracy Kraft-Tharp, D-Arvada, is drumming up support for a $10 million effort to better forecast wildfires and floods, which could save hundreds times more in property losses from any one single event by giving evacuees, firefighters and other early responders a big head start. The cost of natural disasters is compounded by the lives and scenic beauty they consume.

But the price tag spread over the next five years also lands at a time other members of her party are talking about dire problems if the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights forces refunds of up to $200 million from the general fund this year and another $58.7 million from recreational marijuana. The refunds are triggered by a state revenue cap that’s formulated on tax collections against the rates of inflation and population growth.

Republican Bob Beauprez, who is running for governor, poses with his wife Claudia, New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie and U.S. Senate hopeful Cory Gardner after a rally Thursday in Colorado Springs. (Gardner photo)

A year after calling Colorado Congressmen Cory Gardner a “hypocrite,” New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie campaigned in Colorado on the Senate hopeful’s behalf.

Christie and other New Jersey officials were livid last year when Colorado’s Republican congressmen who had opposed the $50 billion Hurricane Sandy relief package asked for some of the money to help with the Centennial’s state historic flooding. “They’re hypocrites. That’s what they are,” Christie said, in a telephone town hall, adding there was “no other way to put it.”

Christie didn’t back down on last year’s statement after a campaign rally Thursday in Colorado Springs.

“Listen, my view still is that Cory Gardner was wrong on that vote. But you know, if you’re looking for a candidate you agree with 100 percent of the time go home and look in the mirror,” Christie said. “But he overwhelmingly is a better choice for the U.S Senate than Sen. Udall, overwhelmingly.”

Now that 9/11 is over, politicians can resume their regularly scheduled sparring and that’s exactly what is going to happen today as U.S. Sen. Mark Udall and U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner talk about their roles during Colorado floods last year.

Udall’s campaign recently released an ad saying Gardner’s vote to shut down the federal government hurt Colorado and flood victims when they needed it the most. An earlier ad showed the Jamestown mayor fighting back tears as she described Udall’s efforts to aid the victims.

Gardner’s campaign was livid when the Udall campaign issued a news release with the headline “Gardner endangered flood recovery.” Gardner called it the latest “tall tale” from Udall on the campaign trail.

* Gardner’s campaign is featuring three elected leader who are going to discuss “Gardner’s record of fighting for Colorado flood victims and the lies Sen. Udall is spreading about Colorado’s floods.”

* Udall is holding separate events in Lyons and Jamestown to mark the anniversary of the deadly floods and to highlight the progress Colorado communities have made in rebuilding.

The flooding last year killed nine people, destroyed more than 1,000 homes and nearly 500 miles of roads. All told, the damaged reached a staggering $2.9 billion, as The Denver Post’s John Aguilar reported in his look back at the disaster.

Here’s at look at coverage of the first debate between U.S. Sen. Mark Udall, and his GOP challenger, Congressman Cory Gardner, which was held Saturday in Grand Junction:

The Denver Post: Democratic U.S. Sen. Mark Udall and the man who wants to take his seat, Republican Congressman Cory Gardner, squared off Saturday night in their first debate, touting their own achievements while questioning those of their opponent. At one point, Udall challenged Gardner on the relentless attacks. “I’m curious what problem facing the nation I haven’t caused,” Udall said. “Me, too,” Gardner quipped to laughter. By Lynn Bartels.

The Colorado Springs Gazette: U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner talked rapidly and aggressively Saturday night in the Republican’s effort to unseat U.S. Sen. Mark Udall, and at times the incumbent’s slower, deliberate answers came across like he was a deer caught in the headlights. By Megan Schrader.

The Colorado Independent: Let’s cut to the chase. Debates are notoriously hard to judge, but here’s my best guess: In the big Saturday night showdown here with Mark Udall, Cory Gardner won the debate and lost the fight.Column by Mike Littwin.

Fox 31: Republican U.S. Senate candidate Cory Gardner took every opportunity to tie Democratic Sen. Mark Udall to President Obama and his vote for the Affordable Care Act during their first debate Saturday night here at Club 20’s fall meeting. By Eli Stokols.

The Associated Press: Health care and the partial government shutdown underscored the first debate between U.S. Sen. Mark Udall and Republican challenger U.S. Rep. Cory Gardner, who are deadlocked in a pivotal Colorado contest that could determine control of the U.S. Senate. By Ivan Moreno.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.